


becoming more clear

by Hellokaelyn



Series: Torres Family [4]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Coming Out, F/M, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Tyler takes action about the Gabe situation.Things have changed between Tyler and Alyssa.





	becoming more clear

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know if this will really be read but I thought it was time to add more.
> 
> NOW..don't come for me but Ellie and Nick I've always written as perfect parents but in this fic they are NOT. So bare with me here.

When Alyssa agreed to stay in the shed, one thing she didn't think she'd be doing was standing in front of Tyler who sat on the bathroom counter, cleaning blood off his knuckles. Thankfully none of it his.  
  
"What the fuck did you do Tyler?"  
  
He clenched his jaw. "Gabe is getting bullied at school-"  
  
"Wait..you beat up a_ 14 year old_?" Alyssa said in a scolding tone.  
  
"No!" Tyler scoffed. "I hit the little assholes older brother, told him to get his brother in check or else."  
  
Alyssa shook her head. Tyler always thought fighting solved problems, so she wasn't exactly surprised. "And you don't think this will make things worse for your brother? Why are they bullying him anyway?"  
  
"He's gay." His whisper was so small she barely heard it. "Or- at least they think he is."  
  
"You haven't talked to him?" Alyssa scowled and smacked his bruised knuckles making him breathe in sharply at the pain on his fresh bruises. "You're an idiot Tyler, maybe what Gabe needs is someone to listen to him, not probably cause him more trouble."  
  
"I tried talking to him!"  
  
"Talking to him or demanding from him?"   
  
Tyler frowned and Alyssa took the chance to look at him as he stared deeply in thought at the bathroom floor. Her hand still holding his from cleaning it.   
  
Things had already changed between them in the weeks she'd been living in the shed. They rarely fought unless at school but it was now just really for show, but in the shed they were just..._them_. No one had seemed to notice the difference except Lacy and that was only certain glances she'd give the two, an understanding in her eyes that Alyssa didn't like to dig into.   
  
Nothing had happened between them, but there had been small moments where it seemed like something might, but they were over in seconds.   
  
Alyssa against her will, found herself really starting to like him as more than just an attraction. And it scared her. If they did happen..she knew she couldn't deal with the type of relationship he and Lacy had, she may have been one of the girls he slept with while technically with Lacy, but if he wanted to be with her..it'd be only her or nothing. She wasn't sure Tyler could be a one girl kind of guy.   
  


* * *

  
  
Later that day, Tyler found himself knocking on Gabe's door. Their parents had taken Rissa and Cam out for ice cream, Gabe hadn't wanted to go and so he had volunteered to stay home with him.   
  
Now was his chance.  
  
Tyler breathed out hearing his shout to come in. Having heart to hearts wasn't something he ever did.   
  
Gabe tensed up the second he stepped foot in the room. "You know."  
  
"Yeah, but I'd like to hear it from you." Tyler dropped onto the bed next to him, Gabe's hands shook as he put his bookmark in his book and set it aside.   
  
"I don't-" Gabe swallowed. "I've never..said it to anyone before."  
  
"Can I ask then..how the school found out?"  
  
Gabe closed his eyes for a second. "It was just dumb rumors at first, but I made some passing comment to my friend Miranda and a guy from the basketball team heard it-"  
  
"And it just blew up from there." Tyler finished with a frown. Gabe nodded.  
  
"You got in a fight with Greg's brother..didn't you?" Gabe asked softly. He pointed to Tyler's knuckles. "Mom and dad may not pay attention but it doesn't mean the rest of us don't."   
  
"I did." Tyler admitted. "You mad at me?"  
  
"No. I'm-" Gabe sighed. "I think I'm too tired to even be mad anymore."   
  
Tyler felt his stomach twist. His little brother looked and sounded it too. Like he was just..drained from it all.   
  
And again their parents didn't notice a thing. It was almost a punch to the gut. He knew they didn't pay much attention when it came to him, but he was so sure for years that at least his siblings got what he didn't have. But..it seems he was wrong. How could two federal agents not see that their kid was becoming worn down, being bullied, struggling so much? Tyler knew they loved them, but they paid more attention to their job.  
  
"Gabe-"  
  
"I'm gay."   
  
Gabe looked at him with wide watery eyes, almost a little in shock that the words had come out of his mouth.   
  
Tyler didn't say a word. Instead, he leaned forward and pulled Gabe to him in a hug. Gabe wasted no time in wrapping his arms around him tightly, his body starting to shake as suppressed sobs started becoming real ones. Tyler felt his own eyes water as his grip on his brother tightened. He vowed from then on to actually be there, Gabe needed him and he'd be damned if he let his little brother down again.  
  


* * *

  
  
That night after the movie they had just watched ended and his siblings already went upstairs to bed, Tyler sat at the top of the steps watching his parents sitting on the couch together in the living room.   
  
"Nick!" Ellie laughed, shoving him.   
  
Nick grinned at her. "It's not my fault you suck at it!"  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't suck! Come on, try and do it again!"  
  
"Fine fine." He laughed and grabbed more popcorn, grabbing one piece. Ellie backed up a little and he threw it. She moved to try and catch it in her mouth but failed as it hit her nose.   
  
"I was close!"   
  
Nick snickered. "Close but you still missed."  
  
"Well maybe if your throwing didn't suck!"  
  
"Hey! Who was the one who broke the neighbors window throwing a baseball? Not me!"  
  
"Wha- you shoved me and you know it! We already know I kick ass at baseball."  
  
Nick laughed as Ellie grabbed a handful of popcorn and tossed it at him. He reached over and grabbed her, pulling her to him as he kissed her cutting off her own laughter.   
  
Tyler quietly went up the steps not needing to see where _that_ went.   
  
There was no doubt his parents still loved each other, he saw it all the time, and he knew they loved them but things started to change when Grandpa Gibbs retired for good. At first he had 'retired' but still consulted and helped on certain cases, but ever since it became official and Uncle Tim took over, his parents worked harder as if all three of them had something to prove with Grandpa Gibbs gone.   
  
Eventually something would happen that would make them realize..and it worried him on just what that might be. 

* * *

  
  
  
He didn't stay in the house long. An hour after his parents went to bed he was sneaking outside and to the shed.   
  
Tyler walked behind it to see what he expected, Alyssa was lying on the grass staring up at the stars in the sky. It was a spot he had found himself in lots of times over the years.  
  
"Hey." He mumbled as he got down on the grass beside her. Only inches between them.  
  
"Did you talk to him?"   
  
He sighed. "Yeah..yeah I did. You were right..he just needed someone to listen."  
  
Alyssa turned her head and grinned at him. "Of course, I'm always right."  
  
Tyler chuckled. "In your delusional world, sorry to disappoint but in the _real_ world being right once doesn't count as 'always'."   
  
"Oh fuck off." She scoffed, smacking the back of her hand against him.   
  
He grinned and grabbed a hold of her hand. "And to think I was being nice trying to keep you company."  
  
Her cheeks colored pink, luckily not being noticeable as the only light was from the moon and the back porch light that stayed on during the night. "You can go back inside if you're gonna be a dick."   
  
"Nah." Tyler almost didn't seem to think about it as he laced his fingers through hers, their now joined hands falling in the space between them. "I'm fine right here."  
  
Alyssa bit the inside of her cheek to keep from asking what he was doing, and why. Maybe she should just enjoy the moment.   
  
Oh how things had changed between them.   
  
It gave her a small thrill thinking about how they might change more if she continued to stay.  
  
He was still a dick though. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have an idea for the next part so fingers crossed. It's more Tyler/Lacy focused then Tyler/Alyssa (and yes there will be ellick), but its needed I promise.


End file.
